The Concession Golf Club is an ultra-private, invitation-only golf club in Bradenton, Florida, set on 1,200 acres with membership capped at around 200 people, a Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin-designed course rated at the USGA's maximum slope of 155, and a growing résumé of major championships including three consecutive Senior PGA Championships starting in 2026.
Read on for a full breakdown of the course, membership costs, amenities, tournament history, and everything else worth knowing before you consider joining or simply want to learn more.
The Story Behind the Name and the Club's Origins
The Concession Golf Club takes its name from a single moment during the 1969 Ryder Cup at Royal Birkdale. With the match tied and everything on the line, Jack Nicklaus conceded a two-to-three-foot putt to Tony Jacklin on the 18th hole of the final singles match — producing the first tie in Ryder Cup history.
Nicklaus told Jacklin directly: “I don't believe you would have missed that, but I'd never give you the opportunity in these circumstances.” It remains widely regarded as the greatest act of sportsmanship in golf history, and it's the spiritual foundation the club was built on.
The course itself came together through an unlikely chain of events. Developer Kevin Daves, who also developed The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota, originally got the project off the ground.
It was Jacklin — a Sarasota resident at the time — who persuaded Nicklaus to come on board as co-designer, making it the only course the two men ever designed together.
The club opened in 2006 and won Golf Digest's Best New Private Course in America almost immediately. Early operations, however, were modest — the club functioned out of a double-wide trailer.
That changed in 2009 when Bruce Cassidy Sr., founder of Excel Mining Systems, acquired majority ownership and commissioned a permanent 33,000-square-foot clubhouse in its place.
Cassidy remains president and majority owner today, and his investment effectively transformed The Concession from a promising new course into one of the most serious private golf operations in the country.
Course Design, Layout, and What Makes It So Difficult
The championship course plays through 520 acres of natural Florida landscape — 150-foot pines, 200-year-old live oaks, magnolias, wetlands, and oak hammocks.
What sets it apart visually from most Florida courses is the complete absence of homes along any fairway. Only a few distant rooflines are visible during play, which is genuinely rare for both Florida golf and Nicklaus designs. The result feels more like a wilderness retreat than a manicured resort course.
By the numbers:
- Yardage (tips): 7,474–7,492 yards
- Par: 72
- Course rating: 76.6–77.6
- Slope rating: 155 — the USGA maximum
- Fairways: TifSport Bermudagrass
- Greens: TifEagle Bermudagrass
The slope rating alone tells you something. A 155 is as high as the rating system goes, and The Concession holds the highest slope and course rating in the entire Tampa Bay area.
The greens are where most of your strokes will disappear. Small, elevated, and heavily contoured, they were inspired by Nicklaus's concurrent work at Sebonack Golf Club.
Steep run-offs surround most putting surfaces, meaning anything that misses the intended landing zone tends to end up somewhere unpleasant.
Billy Horschel compared them to Augusta National during the 2021 WGC event. Paul Azinger, a member and former PGA Champion, put it more plainly — the course “will eat your lunch.”
Nicklaus's bunker strategy compounds the difficulty throughout. On most holes, water threatens one side of the fairway while sand guards the other, forcing a genuine decision off every tee. Brilliant white sand fills the bunkers, which are placed to punish both the timid and the reckless.
Four holes worth knowing before you play:
- Hole 8 (Par 4, ~379 yards) — The signature hole, modeled on Muirfield Village's 14th. A meandering creek guards the green on three sides. Short but punishing, and widely considered one of the finest par 4s in Florida.
- Hole 7 (Par 5, up to 606 yards) — The number-one handicap hole. Features a lake-and-bunker complex leading to a large, undulating green.
- Hole 12 (Par 4, ~349 yards) — A drivable par 4 for bold players willing to carry the bunkers, but the green is tiny and unforgiving of anything imprecise.
- Hole 13 (Par 5, ~522 yards) — Demands a forced carry over water off the tee, the course's most expansive bunker complex, and a dramatically raised green that makes reaching in two a genuine gamble.
Membership — What It Costs and How to Get In
The Concession is strictly private and capped at roughly 200 members. You don't need to purchase a home in the surrounding community to join, but you do need an introduction — either a recommendation from a current member or a personal letter of introduction.
From there, a membership committee evaluates applicants on golf commitment, community involvement, and overall cultural fit. This isn't a club you can simply apply to cold.
Estimated costs (not publicly disclosed — figures based on third-party sources):
| Category | Estimated Range |
|---|---|
| Full golf initiation fee | $100,000–$150,000 |
| Annual golf dues | $15,000–$22,000 |
| Social membership | ~$5,000/year |
| Corporate membership | $25,000–$50,000/year |
These figures don't include food-and-beverage minimums, capital assessments, guest fees, or caddie and cart costs. Payment plans may be available.
Membership types:
- Full Golf — Complete course and facility access
- Social — Clubhouse access without full golf privileges
- Culinary — Dining access to The Bistro specifically
- Corporate — Business-oriented membership tier
- Non-Resident — For members based outside the area
One notable perk across all golf memberships: there's no tee-time system. Members play when they want. For a course of this caliber, that's a meaningful distinction — no booking windows, no queues, no scheduling friction.
To start a membership inquiry, reach out directly to htalcott@concessiongolfclub.com.
Amenities, Practice Facilities, and On-Site Lodging
The 33,000-square-foot clubhouse was designed by Adrienne Vittadini and Pamela Hughes and sits overlooking the 18th green and a lake. Inside, the space is built around golf and hospitality — nothing more, nothing less.
Dining and social spaces include:
- Casual and formal dining rooms
- A private grill room
- The Boardroom, used for intimate dinners and meetings
- A card room and billiard room
- A men's locker room with a full bar
The Concession Bistro maintains a wine cellar with over 365 selections and has been recognized by the James Beard Foundation. Throughout the clubhouse, you'll find memorabilia from the 1969 Ryder Cup alongside artifacts tied to other figures in golf history.
Practice Facilities
The 23-acre practice complex is ranked among Golf Digest's Top 75 Practice Areas in the U.S. It includes a dual-ended driving range, a 10,000-square-foot putting green, and a 14,000-square-foot chipping green — enough space to work on every part of your game without feeling rushed or crowded.
The Gimme and Snake Acre
Opened in 2019 as a $2 million addition, The Gimme is a 9-hole par-3 course (par 27, 1,088 yards) designed by Nicklaus Design's Chris Cochran.
It features recreations of some of golf's most recognizable holes — an island green modeled on TPC Sawgrass's 17th, a sod-wall bunker evoking St. Andrews' Road Hole, and a center-bunker green inspired by Riviera's 6th. Golf Magazine named it one of the world's 25 best par-3 courses in 2020.
Adjacent to The Gimme is Snake Acre — an 18-hole putting course spread across one acre, equipped with LED lighting for night play and one of the largest of its kind in Florida.
Lodging
On-site accommodation options include The Lodge (8 bedrooms), American and European Casitas, and Cottages, all within easy walking distance of the clubhouse. The lodging is primarily there to host members' guests, which aligns with the club's broader philosophy.
One thing worth noting if you're comparing The Concession to other private clubs: there is no swimming pool, tennis courts, or fitness center. That's a deliberate choice. Golf is the entire point here, and the facilities reflect exactly that.
Tournament History and Upcoming Championships
The Concession has built a tournament résumé that few private clubs anywhere in the country can match. Here's how it unfolded.
WGC-Workday Championship — February 2021
When the World Golf Championships event was pulled from Mexico City due to COVID-19, The Concession stepped in with just six weeks' notice and hosted a full WGC field.
Collin Morikawa won at 18-under 270, taking home $1.82 million from a $10.5 million purse — and in doing so became only the second player after Tiger Woods to win both a major and a WGC event before age 25.
The tournament also fell during the same week as Woods' near-fatal car crash, and players wore red and black on Sunday in tribute.
NCAA Division I Championships — 2015
The Concession hosted both the men's and women's NCAA Division I Championships in 2015. Bryson DeChambeau won the men's individual title at 8-under 280, becoming the first NCAA champion in SMU history.
He went on to win the 2015 U.S. Amateur later that year, making him just the fifth player ever to claim both titles in the same calendar year.
World Champions Cup — December 2023
The inaugural PGA Tour Champions team event pitted three-man squads from the U.S., Europe, and the International field against each other.
Team USA won by two points, 221–219 over Team International, with Jim Furyk, Ernie Els, and Darren Clarke serving as captains. The 2024 edition was canceled due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Senior PGA Championship — 2026, 2027, and 2028
This is the headline. The PGA of America signed a three-year deal to bring the Senior PGA Championship to The Concession, with the 86th edition set for April 16–19, 2026.
It will be the first professional major played in Florida in over 25 years. The economic impact is estimated at $60–70 million per year, with Sarasota and Manatee counties each committing $4.5 million over the three-year run. Up to 7,000 spectators are expected daily, supported by nearly 2,000 volunteers.
The Concession Cup
Running since 2014, the biennial Concession Cup mirrors the Ryder Cup format — U.S. versus Great Britain and Ireland amateur teams. Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin serve as honorary captains, keeping the spirit of the club's founding moment alive in a competitive setting.
Notable Members, Club Policies, and How to Visit
Notable Members
The membership roster includes some recognizable names from professional golf. Paul Azinger — 1993 PGA Champion, 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup captain, and current NBC lead golf analyst — has been a member since the club opened in 2006 and serves as honorary chairman of the Concession Cup.
Gary Koch, a 6-time PGA Tour winner and NBC Sports commentator, is also a longstanding member, as are LPGA Tour players Brittany Lincicome and Sandra Gal, PGA Tour veteran Andy Bean, and Bill Galvano, the former president of the Florida Senate who played a direct role in securing public funding for the Senior PGA Championship.
Nicklaus himself shot his age — a 72 — at the club in 2009, reportedly while wearing boat shoes.
Dress Code
- Men: collared and sleeved shirts, slacks or mid-thigh-length shorts
- Women: skirts, skorts, shorts, dresses, or pants with appropriate tops; sleeveless tops require a collar or crew/high neckline
- Prohibited for all: denim, athletic wear, tank tops, cargo shorts, metal spikes
- Hats must be removed in all dining areas; shirts must be tucked in inside the clubhouse
On the Course
Rounds should not exceed four hours. Standard etiquette applies — fill divots, repair ball marks, rake bunkers, and keep carts at least 30 feet from putting surfaces.
Walking is permitted and encouraged. Caddies are available, and forecaddies may be required for certain groups. Cart fees and caddie rates aren't publicly listed; contact the pro shop at (941) 322-1465 for current figures.
The club is strictly private. Guests must be accompanied by a member at all times, and the member takes responsibility for both guest fees and conduct.
Rankings Snapshot
- Golf Digest national ranking: ~#127
- Florida ranking: ~#5
- Highest slope rating (155) and course rating in the Tampa Bay area
Getting There
- Address: 7700 Lindrick Lane, Bradenton, FL 34202
- Phone: (941) 322-1922
- Website: theconcession.com
- Located 3 miles east of I-75 in the Lakewood Ranch area, with gated access off University Parkway and State Road 70
- Approximately 20 miles from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) and about one hour south of Tampa International Airport (TPA)
Conclusion
The Concession Golf Club is a rare combination of genuine difficulty, historical significance, and deliberate exclusivity — a course built around a single act of sportsmanship that now hosts world-class professional events.
With membership capped at 200, a maximum slope rating, and three consecutive Senior PGA Championships on the horizon, it has quietly positioned itself among the most serious private golf operations in the country.
If you're considering membership or simply want to understand what places The Concession in a category of its own, the details covered in this guide give you a clear picture of what to expect.
